


Acceptance (수용다)

by IAmNotGoodatthisnamingthing



Series: midnight blues and gilded hues [3]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, insa fic collab, this ended up more Hongbin focused than initially planned but oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25002457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmNotGoodatthisnamingthing/pseuds/IAmNotGoodatthisnamingthing
Summary: The world Hongbin awakens to is flashy, loud and just different.For one, people use handheld devices to take images (‘selfies’, he’s been informed), and scrying to connect over long distances is not so revered anymore.For seconds, the world - their world - doesn’t seem to be at war anymore.And thirdly, people now know.Alternately, the modern world immersion lessons of warlock Hongbin, facilitated by future clan leader Han Hyuk and his band of merry men.
Relationships: Lee Hongbin/Lee Jaehwan | Ken
Series: midnight blues and gilded hues [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1795519
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Insa Fic Collab





	Acceptance (수용다)

**Author's Note:**

> Song Inspiration: I Will Go Sincerely x Make a Dream

The world Hongbin awakens to is flashy, loud and just  _ different _ . 

  
  


For one, people use handheld devices to take images (‘selfies’, he’s been informed), and scrying to connect over long distances is not so revered anymore, what with the prevalence of telephones and social media (?) and emails.

For seconds, the world -  _ their world _ \- doesn’t seem to be at war, at least not so openly, anymore. There are still factions and secret allegiances, but everything is more regulated on the surface, the different clans’ influence and businesses bound by treatises and other rules that have been in practice.

And thirdly, people now  _ know _ . Apparently, there had been a ‘great reveal’ of the supernaturals and immortals - coordinated, surprisingly and unprecedented, by a coalition of shifters, the magi, the fae and mer folks and even the vampires - to combat their rapidly dwindling numbers due to the great wars and famines brought about in the 20th century. In a bid to preserve their clans and lines, the supernaturals had made their existence known to the common folks and their leaders, and had over the course of the last few decades, begun assimilating into modern society.

Hongbin’s coming out of slumber after a cryosis spanning three whole centuries, and the world around befuddles him to no end. He spends the first two weeks of his  _ awakenness _ being tutored about the modern world and useful gadgets by a young shifter from the clan he had been resting with. 

  
  
  


The boy, Hyuk, is barely past his twenties, but he proves to be both patient and enthusiastic about being entrusted with the honor of educating their clan’s guardian warlock aka Hongbin. Although the shifter, who is also the sole heir of the present clan leader, resembles his progenitors in their height and bearing, he has none of the fighting acumen or bloodlust of his ancestors, who Hongbin had once fought side by side with.

You see, the last time Hongbin was awake, and every time before that, Hongbin had been part of the millenia-spanning bloody war waging between the shifters and the vampires. Hongbin had never found out what had caused the war, not even during his initiation. He’d trained in the southern fields of what was being called Korea now, with three other warlocks - their numbers had always been rare - and then, upon completion of his training, had been given the luxury of choosing sides. 

He’d chosen to pledge fealty to the shifters, and had been welcomed in the ranks of the Han clan. He’d trained with their men and women, and dined with them, and nursed their wounds and when needed, bury them; all through it, he’d tried his best to aid them with his magic, with charmed attacks and enhanced night vision, and fireballs that Han Jisung from 12 centuries ago had been particularly fond of. And when his energies had depleted, he’d gone into cryosis, to replenish, and return after every 2 centuries, to keep helping on with the war efforts.

  
  
  


That had been his modus operandi, waking, strategizing and fighting, and in rare moments of peace trekking through faraway lands before he had to return to duty. And now he awakens a whole century later than he should have - because the clan had wanted to let him rest for a while longer; in a world of prevailing peace - what use was a warlock without war; to be educated in the ways of the world by a twenty-something year old child, who blatantly used Hongbin as an excuse to get permission from Han Jimin, the clan leader, to eat fast food.

So Hongbin clearly has reasons to be befuddled, and lost. He was honed to be a sharp knife in the battlefield, and now he was presented with modern concepts and  _ rules _ that made him, for the first time in his eternal, wonder about his purpose. 

  
  
  


“You think too much,” Han Hyuk shouts at him, straining to be heard over the booming bass music of the club where he’d brought Hongbin to continue his ongoing education. It’s week 4 of his awakenness and Hongbin has passed a test - mandatory for all immortals - to prove his fitness for assimilation, gotten a unique ID from Korea’s government and a credit card from the Han clan, and an absolute lack of respect from the child Hyuk.

Hyuk, born into this world of peace, was friends (on something called Twitter) with countless species of supernatural who would have hunted him for sport or triggered a lethal response from him under normal circumstances, but here he sits in a club, drinking tequila - okay, maybe  _ some  _ of the modern discoveries was passably decent - smiling and waving and high-fiving with creatures both common and supernatural.

“This is too loud,” Hongbin says, pitching his voice a little higher, in order to be heard. 

This is not the first time he has gone with Hyuk on one of his mis(adventures), usually limited to nighttime ventures in cafes and eateries and the occasional museums catering to the supernatural, but this is the first time he’s come into a dance hall, filled with so many bodies (so many threats that we could have eliminated otherwise, his mind supplies to him grumpily) and so much noise. Dubstep, he’d decided within two minutes of entering this place and being introduced to the music genre by Hyuk, was something he would not wish to wake up to in his next life.

“We can leave in another half an hour if you want,” Hyuk shouts back at him, raising his empty glass and attracting the attention of a nearby server. Hongbin nods, kickstarting his internal clock to count down the literal seconds, and downs his tequila before mimicking Hyuk’s action and requesting for a refill.

“No refill,” Hyuk insists to the server. “Bring him a dirty martini. You’ll enjoy this one,” he assures Hongbin, turning back to him.

  
  
  


“Why are we here?” Hongbin asks him tiredly, not vibing at all with the music nor condoning the type of dancing happening around him.

“To meet two friends that I haven’t seen since you woke up,” Hyuk shrugs. And wow, this one doesn’t mince words, does he?

“Why am I here?” Hongbin rebuts.

“Because mama asked me to bring you places and prepare you for when you decide to leave,” Hyuk explains, bopping his head to the headache-inducing music.

  
  
  


Wait,  _ did he say leave? _

“Why would I leave? Where would I even leave?” Hongbin asks.  _ Was the...Han clan planning to throw him out? Has any warlocks been discharged whilst alive from their chosen factions before? What would he even do, if his duty to protect the Han clan was no longer needed? _

“Why wouldn’t you?” Hyuk quips at him, turning to look at him curiously.

Tired of the loud noise and Hyuk’s cryptic non-answers, Hongbin snaps his fingers and immediately a mostly non-visible bubble surrounds the two of them in the booth they have selected to sit in, enveloping them in a pocket of quiet.

  
  
  


“Explain,” Hongbin insists, before Hyuk can comment on his magic (and knowing Hyuk, he definitely would have).

“I mean, you’ve been here for what, a long long time, right?” Hyuk begins. “And not once in that time have you had the chance to visit different places, so now that we’re at peace, and you can travel, why not do that?”

“I have travelled before,” Hongbin says, semi-offended. Okay, maybe he hadn’t travelled in what would in modern terms be classified far, but he _ had _ travelled. 

“To where? The edge of Seoul? One county over? Maybe two counties over?” Hyuk retorts, unimpressed. “I saw you googling some places in Australia the other day. Why not go visit? We have enough wealth, and I know mama has given you a black card, you can travel first class and live lavishly for at least my lifetime with the spending limit on that card, if you want.”

“But my duty is to protect your clan,” Hongbin insists. “I wasn’t looking at places in Australia, I was trying to track down an old colleague who I found from the ID people moved there.”

“So go, track him or her down,” Hyuk says, as if it were all that simple.  _ Could it be that simple? _ “We’re not at war, we’re not important enough to warrant assassination attempts, and you’re a free man, so go. Be free.”

Hongbin frowns, trying to come up with a rebuttal, and from his periphery watches Hyuk perk up in his seat. He follows Hyuk’s line of sight (to assess for threats, an old habit) to find a guy with pink hair (what atrocity!) waving at them.

“The silence thing was quite cool and we’ll talk about that later, but can you remove it now? One of my friends is coming,” Hyuk says, standing up and smiling.

Hongbin sighs, uncreating his magic, and looks up to find the feline eyed guy from before now in their booth, leaning forward to wrap Hyuk in a hug.

  
  
  


“Is that him? The warlock of your family?” pink-haired guy asks Hyuk brusquely, scanning Hongbin fascinatedly.

“Yep,” Hyuk says, popping the p.

“That’s so cool,” pink-haired guy says. “And he’s waking up 300 years later?”

“Like Rip Van Winkle times 3,” Hyuk quips.

“And you’ve gotten his ID done?”

“He passed the test with flying colours,” Hyuk says proudly, as if he has had anything to do with Hongbin passing his test. (Okay, maybe he did, but Hongbin would not be admitting that anytime soon.)

“That’s so cool,” the guy repeats again, before turning to face Hongbin with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hongbin. Mr? Sire? Your Honour? I don’t know,” the guy shrugs, not allowing Hongbin to pitch in a word. “I’m Hakyeon, a human, if you couldn’t tell,” - how could Hongbin not, when the first thing warlocks noticed about people was their auras - “and I’m a friend of Hyuk’s. I do restorative work in a museum. You should come by!”

“Let the man breathe, hyung,” Hyuk whines, reaching out with his pinky to poke the Hakyeon guy’s side. “Erm, I mean, the warlock. Let him breathe. Hyung,” this time he turned to Hongbin and wait, was he calling Hongbin  _ hyung?! _

“This is my partner, Hakyeon hyung,” Hyuk soldiers on, also not allowing Hongbin to speak. “He’s very enthusiastic about the history of our kinds, so please expect at least 15 more invasive questions through the night.”

Before Hongbin could comment or greet the newcomer - who despite being human, had an interesting percentage of incubi in his aura, good enough to have ‘a charm’ but small enough to not catch on any other being’s radar - Hyuk and Hakyeon started bantering (read: flirting) and were just about to get sneakily touchy (read: including but not limited to grabbage of the posterior), when Hongbin cleared his throat.

  
  
  


“Oh, I’m sorry, we must be boring you,” Hakyeon apologizes, springing apart from Hyuk and taking a step back. “I’ll go get a drink from the bar.” 

“We’ll be here when you return,” Hyuk winks at him. “Where’s Jaehwan?”

“He was going to the underground parking to park the car, and buy a  _ snack _ ,” Hakyeon uses air quotes to stress on the last word. “I’m sure he’s found a fan or two, but should show up anytime,” and with that Hakyeon waves and saunters away, barely brushing between the bodies on the dance floor as he made his way to the bar.

“Typical Jaehwan,” Hyuk shakes his head, before snapping to face Hongbin. “Oh, I should warn you. Jaehwan is a supernatural.”

“Your other friend?” Hongbin pauses before adding thoughtfully. “Your other boyfriend?”

“Oh god no, just a friend,” Hyuk burst out. “Hakyeon would stab both of us if we tried some poly shit, plus the rest of my clan - as progressive as they might be - would definitely have an issue if Jaehwan and I dated.”

Before Hongbin could ask what Hyuk meant, a commotion broke out near the entrance of the club. For a moment all Hongbin could see was a gathering of a number of women and a few men - both common and supernatural folk - surrounding a body and vying for attention, and then Hongbin read the aura of the body.

  
  
  


“Why are people surrounding a leech?” Hongbin asks distastefully, watching the vampire throw up V signs and flash his fangs to pose for photos with the crowd. Imperceptibly, he shifts closer to Hyuk’s body - peace or not, the Han clan’s heir was with him, and he wasn’t about to let his guard down even around a seemingly showpony vampire.

“About that, he’s a famous actor,” Hyuk says, scratching his head rather uneasily.

“Actor?” Hongbin turns to him momentarily. “Like plays?”

“Well plays too,” Hyuk supplies. “But mostly film. Like the ones we watched on Netflix, remember? He’s been active in the industry from the beginning of the assimilation, and has been one of the major reasons why supernaturals found such major acceptance from the public.”

“What do you mean?” Hongbin frowns, refusing to believe a leech could be anything but a damned nuisance. 

“I mean, he was active before the Reveal, and was one of the first supes to come out, which created a favourable branding among people, and fastracked the assimilation. So, he’s quite a celebrity, both among supes and humans,” Hyuk pauses, looking at Hongbin warily before continuing. “And he’s my friend Jaehwan.”

“Your-wha-,” Hongbin splutters, scandalized. “You’re friends with a leech?”

“That’s a really derogatory term, you know,” Hyuk says, looking away and shifting from foot to foot. 

“His kind has killed countless of your ancestors before,  _ you know, _ ” Hongbin beseeches.

“And my kind has murdered his kind too,” Hyuk retaliates in hard tone, eyes narrowing with passion. “And your kind has murdered both our kinds through history. Why does it matter, now that we are at peace? What use is it holding grudges?” By the end of his spiel, Hyuk was panting, and Hongbin was staring at him in consternation.

“I don’t understand your world,” Hongbin said finally, watching the vampire extract himself from his adoring fans (blowing kisses and throwing finger hearts) and make his way towards the one from earlier, Hakyeon, who was waiting for him with a ready drink and an amused smirk.

“It’s different from what you’re used to. I get it,” Hyuk nods, deflating. “But I’d like if you’d not be hostile or insulting towards my friends, no matter what species they may be.”

“I’ll behave, for your sake,” Hongbin says, because despite his youth, Hyuk had moments of clarity and inspiration that spoke of ancient wisdom, and Hongbin had begrudgingly come to respect that. 

“I’ll behave, but while your Jaehwan is here, I’ll stick close to you,” Hongbin acknowledges and promises at the same time. 

“That’s fair,” Hyuk nods, ending their heavy moment. “Civil is good. It’s not like I expect the two of you to become best friends.”

“Don’t count on it,” Hongbin scoffs, flattening his expression into polite disinterest when Hakyeon and the leech-erm, Jaehwan draw nearer.

Three months later, Hongbin is severely reevaluating his current life choices, most of which suspiciously revolve around agreeing to the current Han heir. 

Because either Hongbin had supremely overestimated his own determination, or underestimated the combined tenacity of Hyuk, Hakyeon  _ and _ Jaehwan.

After the night at the club, where Hongbin had first met Hakyeon and Jaehwan, and spent the entire time till their departure (just 45 minutes before sunrise, right on time for Jaehwan to go take a nap) sticking far too close to Hyuk, and blatantly dismission any tentative nudge to be part of the ongoing conversation from the trio, he’d hoped they’d leave him be. 

As much as he could daydream about Hyuk giving up his friendship with Jaehwan, he knew it wasn’t going to happen, so Hongbin had hoped Hyuk would grant him the favour of keeping him away from the vampire.

But Hyuk was a loyal friend, who took his friendships very seriously, and it seemed he had started to count Hongbin amongst his friends. 

It was evidenced by him still continuing to tutor Hongbin about the modern world even after Hongbin had moved away from Han estate and into a pre-furnished apartment at the outskirts of the city. His place was located close to the railways and the airport, in case he ever felt the need to explore faraway lands (which, spoiler alert, he was burning to indulge in, a little more every day), and Hongbin had some semblance of peace and quiet, at least when Hyuk wasn’t around.

  
  
  


Hyuk, however, often came to sleepover at Hongbin’s and keep him company (read: avoid his clan’s functions and festivities). He introduced Hongbin to the miracle of late night deliveries and online shopping, and got him hooked onto aerial warfare video games. All that was worth tolerating the slobbery way in which Hyuk traipsed about his apartment and left food crumbs everywhere.

And of course, where Hyuk went, Hakyeon was bound to follow. Hakyeon, fortunately, was a neater and also more informative person than his boyfriend. He helped Hongbin digest the world history that devolved from the waging wars and fae folk rebellions into the Great Reveal and beyond, essentially catching Hongbin up on the whats and whys of the assimilation via sharing books and internet resources.  _ It did also help that Hakyeon was an accomplished home-cook, familiar with ways of making vegetables tasty without magic, and more than willing to help Hongbin learn _ . 

So, in short, Hongbin was glad for Hyuk being appointed by the clan to be his guardian of sorts (what a peculiar reversal of roles!) and for Hyuk introducing him to Hakyeon, whose aura and certain actions confounded Hongbin sometimes.

  
  
  


But, where Hyuk and Hakyeon went, Jaehwan could be found there too, even if the venue happened to be Hongbin’s house. 

Despite their chilly - yet civil - first meet (mostly due to Hongbin’s insistence of not mingling with the enemy), once Hyuk and Hakyeon had decided that Jaehwan was not at risk of getting his throat ripped out by Hongbin, they started inviting Jaehwan to hang out at Hongbin’s place, without taking his permission, it should be mentioned.

Of course, Jaehwan being one of the faces of the Great Reveal, with a still flourishing career, did not have enough time to spare between his schedules, but he still tried to catch up with the duo (and Hongbin, who mostly spent his time eavesdropping on their conversation while sitting close to Hyuk) at least once every fortnight.

By listening in on snatches of conversations, Hongbin had found out much about Jaehwan. Like, the fact that he was the one who suggested for the government to set up dispenser machines of donated or expired blood in public areas, so any thirsty vampires could have easy access to  _ snacks _ , and resist chances of bloodlust. 

That, Jaehwan still kept in touch with the leading ladies from his movies, even the one who were in their geriatric years, and harmlessly flirted with them and visited them and sent them grand gifts for big occasions. 

That, Jaehwan, born just two and a half decades before the Great Reveal, had been turned against his will, and left to fend for himself by his sire (a proper sonofabitch, as per Jaehwan himself), and yet had turned out mostly alright, if not with a twisted sense of humour.

That, Jaehwan did university tours and national broadcast talks, even to this day, to combat the resentments and phobias that common folks still targeted the supernatural with (and that was how he had met and formed a friendship with Hyuk). Jaehwan’s hope, it seemed, was to show the superfolks that it was possible to rise above, and prevail, if only they were driven by purpose.

That, despite Hongbin’s stonewalling tendencies, Jaehwan still greeted him cheerily each time they met (beaming each time that Hongbin deigned to acknowledge him with a nod), and tried to include Hongbin into conversations; that, he had taken to subtly clueing Hongbin in on what to do when his microwave or phone or TV betrayed him, without initiating a conversation at all.

  
  
  


_ Jaehwan bemused Hongbin, and made him curious, albeit begrudgingly. _

_ He made Hongbin reevaluate his life too. Because while Hongbin himself was still lacking purpose of what to do now with his life and newfound freedom, he was also grappling with keeping up his resolution to be impassively distant with Jaehwan. _

  
  
  


It’s one of the nights where Hongbin is expecting to be alone at home (and thus marathoning horror films that do nothing more than entertain him with plot inconsistencies) when his doorbell rings.

It’s past midnight, and Hongbin is neither expecting food delivery nor Hyuk, who’s unavailable for the weekend (read: being intimate with his boyfriend in one of the clansman’s cabin up north), so it’s with the slightest hint of trepidation that Hongbin slouches his way to the door and opens it to reveal  _ Jaehwan? _

  
  
  


Hongbin frowns at his unexpected visitor, the smile on whose face incrementally fades away the longer they stand in the doorway, awkwardly staring at one another.

“Is-isn’t Hyukie and Hakyeonie here?” Jaehwan deems to ask meekly, trying to peer past Hongbin into the darkness of his apartment.

“The hangout was yesterday,” Hongbin informs him, remembering Hakyeon’s impassioned tirade about the audacity of Jaehwan for missing their last get-together before the weeklong vacation Hakyeon and Hyuk were to go on (Hongbin had barely listened in, at ease due to Jaehwan’s absence, and fascinated by the presence of corn on his pizza). 

“Oh,” Jaehwan’s face fully falls and his gaze drops to the floor. 

They spend a moment longer, with Jaehwan staring at the floor, and Hongbin staring at him, wondering why he was still standing there.

  
  
  


“Do you think,” Jaehwan starts hesitantly. “Could I come inside and charge my phone for a bit? My phone’s dead and I’d need to call an Uber to go home.”

Hongbin is slightly tempted to wordlessly slam the door on his face,  _ just slightly _ , but he knows that Hyuk and Hakyeon - if they found out - would be massively disappointed with him, so he shrugs and steps aside, allowing Jaehwan to enter.

Hongbin opts to restart his movie, barely paying attention to Jaehwan, who’s trying to plug in his phone in the kitchen. Try as he might, it’s hard to not pay attention when Jaehwan comes to join him in the den (his feet moving hesitantly) and takes one look at the screen (a particularly gory scene) and cites Jesus before turning away. 

Hongbin can’t help the snort that he lets out.

“Yeah yeah, I know,” Jaehwan shakes his head. “How can a vampire be scared of goriness?”

“Your very creation is gory,” Hongbin adds, almost matter-of-factly.

Jaehwan chuckles mirthlessly at that, moving towards the bookshelf. “You’re exactly right.”

  
  
  


“What do you mean?” Hongbin asks, pausing the movie to pay attention to Jaehwan, whose tone had darkened.

“I was created by force, you know? And left by my sire, who had only created me out of spite,” Jaehwan continues, fingertips touching the spines of the books on Hongbin’s prized bookshelf (aka the first item he had successfully online purchased by himself).

“Why?” Hongbin asks, curious despite himself.

“Why create me or why leave me?” Jaehwan questions, before shaking his head again. “My creator was a bit loony, to say the least. He was a product of your times, no offense,” Jaehwan pauses to spare Hongbin a look. “But by the 20th century, he’d burnt up most of his money and built up a passion for gambling. My family was quite socially influential, and he’d lost a lot gambling with my father, so I guess my creation was his revenge,” Jaehwan shrugs, taking out a book on Mysticism and perusing its blurb as he continues speaking. 

“There I was, attacked in my own gardens, waking up in a pool of my own blood, parched and with noone to guide me. It was only fortunate that the first living thing to befall me was a horse, and not a human, because only after draining it had I realised what I had become,” Jaehwan says, before turning to face Hongbin with a teasing smile. “On the bright side, after the feeding, I was healthy as a horse!” Jaehwan chuckles, and Hongbin can’t find it in himself to laugh alongside him.

  
  
  


“I hadn’t known,” Hongbin replies, feeling guilty for judging Jaehwan and treating him so brusquely.

“How could you, when the children don’t know?” Jaehwan says, referring to Hyuk and Hakyeon.

“Then why tell me?” Hongbin asks, folding his legs under him.

“Why not?” Jaehwan retorts, arching an eyebrow at him.

“You’re weird,” Hongbin comments, tilting his head.

“I am,” Jaehwan smiles. “I’m also not unidimensional. I’m not some bloodthirsty vampire out to kill shifters. I didn’t grow up with the prejudices or burdens that vampires you’ve previously encountered carried.”

“I didn’t quite think of their burdens while committing murder, to be very honest,” Hongbin replies, chuckling when Jaehwan claps a hand over his mouth to cover up his escaped laugh. “For me, for a long time, it has been fight or fail, which meant killing or watching my friends be killed. Hard to think of anything beyond combat strategies in that situation.”

“And now?” Jaehwan asks, shuffling closer to him.

“There’s no war, and I’m not needed,” Hongbin laughs wryly. “The Han clan will continue to support me for how I have previously helped, and help me assimilate into this world.”

“You sound lost,” Jaehwan comments, fitting himself on the arm of the sofa on which Hongbin is sitting cross-legged.

“I am,” Hongbin confesses. “My purpose is no longer needed, I bear prejudices from bygone times, and there’s still so much I don’t understand about this world.”

“So go out, explore,” Jaehwan suggests.

“Hyuk told me the same thing,” Hongbin chuckles.

“Sometimes, he says really insightful things. Maybe you should take his advice.”

“Maybe I should,” Hongbin mutters, half to himself.

The silence they lapse into this time is comfortable, and not strained by the usual hostile tension between them. Hongbin wonders to himself if it was time yet to call up Xiumin in Australia, or track down Yubin and Jiyeon, who had both chosen to fight for the side of vampires all that time ago. 

_ Maybe it would do him good to find people with shared experiences, and learn from how they were coping. And maybe, just maybe, a chance conversation with one who he considered his sworn enemy could also be just as enlightening. _

“My phone should be charged enough,” Jaehwan suddenly speaks into the quiet, standing up and loping towards the kitchen. “I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’ll head home and nap before the sun rises,” he continues, switching on his phone and tinkering with it.

_ You can stay _ , Hongbin almost says, but holds his tongue as he watches Jaehwan order a ride (only 2 minutes away!) and fix his hair by the reflective surface of Hongbin’s fridge.

“Thanks for listening to me,” Jaehwan says, reappearing in front of Hongbin. “I haven’t really had a chance to talk to people about my past.”

Hongbin nods, deliberating for a moment before deciding to speak his mind. “Likewise. And, Jaehwan? I know we didn’t start off on the right foot, but if you ever want to talk about your past, you can come here,” he pauses for emphasis. “With  _ or _ without Hyuk and Hakyeon.”

Jaehwan smiles at him, not his usual beam, but more of a softer, shyer kind (the type he very rarely shows), before taking his leave and closing the door behind him. 

Hongbin stares at the door for a long moment before restarting his movie, no longer absorbing what’s unfolding on the screen.

  
  


The next time they hangout with Hyuk and Hakyeon, neither bring up their conversation, nor try to behave any different from their norm. But the silence between them feels less suffocating and more of camaraderie, and when their eyes accidentally cross when they’re dividing up dinner (a selection of Thai-French fusion dishes, the one and only pampered Han heir that none of them could say no to), Hongbin gives the smallest of smiles to Jaehwan, and Jaehwan’s eyes sparkle in return.

  
  


Nothing changes for a few weeks, and then one evening when they are not scheduled to hang out (or continue Hongbin’s modern world tutelage - now a group project!), Jaehwan comes back, all by himself, looking frazzled and pensive.

Hongbin doesn’t ask him anything, just watches him from the periphery of his vision (hands no longer itching to blast him with a lethal spell), and times how long it takes for Jaehwan to pace from one end of his living room to another. 

Almost two hours of this ensues before Jaehwan confesses that one of his favourite humans, a fellow actor who had been one of the first to accept his supernatural side, had passed away, and Jaehwan couldn’t help but feel bereft, thinking if this was to be the blueprint of the rest of his (now seemingly shitty) eternal life.

Hongbin thinks back to the friends he has had to bury, and the ones he has had to abandon in the line of duty, and elects to keep mum, because this is not about him. 

Jaehwan rants about regrets and the peril of attachments for the better part of an hour, eyes rimming red with unshed blood, until Hongbin is sure he’s let it all out. He then calls Jaehwan to his side, using the flick of a hand (and the smallest of spells) to dim the lights around them. 

Hongbin proceeds to make colourful shapes spiral in the space above their heads, using his magic to entertain someone above the height of his knee for the first time in centuries, and keeps adding little pops and flourishes to his creations, in the hopes of providing Jaehwan distraction and respite. 

By the time Jaehwan is ready to leave, he is still grieving, but more resigned to the lot that has befallen him. He’s still young, new in the ways of immortals, and sometimes - when Hongbin forgets that he’s a vampire - he’s so soft Hongbin can’t help but feel an urge to protect him and help him. 

Jaehwan pauses at the doorway that Hongbin leaves unlocked (because really, who would be stupid enough to attempt to rob a warlock?), and deliberates, shoulders straightening with a different tension.

“Anything remiss?” Hongbin asks from the couch where he’s perched, armed with a book he’d long since abandoned reading.

“Nothing,” Jaehwan mutters, slowly - almost reluctantly - turning around. “I’ll tell you next time.”

And with that, Jaehwan is gone, leaving Hongbin staring after him  _ yet again _ .

  
  
  


“You said you’ll tell me next time,” Hongbin says in greeting, as soon as Jaehwan makes his next solitary visit.

“Oh,” Jaehwan pauses, recalling. “I just...wanted to thank you,” he says slowly. “I know you said I can talk to you about the parts of my life I can’t talk to the others about.”

“I did say that,” Hongbin nods, wondering where Jaehwan is going with this.

“And I just wanted to say that I will listen too, if you want to talk. Ever,” Jaehwan shrugs, looking anywhere but at Hongbin.

“You know, you’re quite nice as a being,” Hongbin says, moving towards his kitchen. “It’s been making me reevaluate my impressions of your kind.”

For a moment Jaehwan does nothing but look pleasantly surprised at Hongbin’s confession, before he’s biting his lip to hide a smile. “Well I’m glad I’ve changed your mind.”

“I didn’t say anything about changing my mind,” Hongbin bluffs, because he hadn't  _ said it _ quite like that. “You bloodsuckers are still a nuisance. But,  _ you _ are nice.”

“I’m nice?” Jaehwan tilts his head, appearing at the kitchen doorway and gesturing for Hongbin to continue.

“Yeah, you care a lot for your friends,” Hongbin shrugs, carelessly washing a bunch of grapes. “And your fans. Every time we’ve been out in public, you’ve been mobbed by starstruck common folks and supes, but you always greet them sweetly and talk to them kindly.” 

“I’m a public performer, it’s part of my job,” Jaehwan dismisses, popping up beside Hongbin and stealing a grape.

“It’s more than that,” Hongbin smacks Jaehwan’s hand when he tries to steal another grape. “They’re dirty. Let me wash.”

“What’s a dirty grape gonna do, kill me?” Jaehwan rebuts, rolling his eyes. “What do you mean it’s more than that?”

“Hyuk told me you do interviews and college tours to inspire and strengthen the supernatural assimilation,” Hongbin says, reluctant to admit he’s learnt this from eavesdropping. “That’s a good purpose to have.”

“I started out of selfish reasons,” Jaehwan shrugs, observing Hongbin pat the grapes dry with a kitchen towel. “As an actor, I was getting famous publicly, and as a supernatural, I was sensing the end of our way of separated life. Fortunately, the right people found me and found a use for me at the right time, and the rest you know. Can I have more grapes now?”

“Have at it,” Hongbin offers, placing the grapes in a bowl and pushing it towards Jaehwan. As Jaehwan eats, Hongbin goes back to meticulously wash a few apples this time.

“You mentioned the word purpose earlier,” Jaehwan says after a while, appearing by Hongbin’s side and eyeing his apples greedily. “Are you still worried you have no clarity on what to do?”

“I’ve been thinking,” Hongbin says, fetching a knife to slice his apples. “I might go visit the warlocks I trained with.”

“Have you tracked them down?” Jaehwan asks, swiping an apple slice as soon as Hongbin has cut it.

“I’ve talked to them over the internet a few times,” Hongbin shakes his head, momentarily reminded of the dazed fascination he’d been wrapped in when he’d been introduced to the concept of the internet (but that’s another story for another day). “Two of them are in Australia, and Yubin now does professional surveillance for some government agency.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, why are warlocks so few in number?” Jaehwan asks, continuing to eat purloined apple portions almost as fast as Hongbin can slice them.

“We’re children of succubi and fae folks,” Hongbin shrugs. “Not typically the type of species interested in reproducing together, nor are they the type with a track record for sticking around for parenting. We’re usually adopted by other warlocks, and groomed until we’ve reached our full potential.”

“And then you choose your allegiance, right?” Jaehwan queries.

“Yeah,” Hongbin nods, wondering why he was even trying to get himself some snacks when this thief was standing shoulder to shoulder with him. “One of my friends in Australia, Jiyeon, has gotten permission from her faction and opened her house for grooming our kind. She has only had two pupils in the last century, so not exactly the most riveting line of work.”

“What do they now choose to do, after reaching their potential?”

“I don’t really know,” Hongbin says, because honestly he’d been wondering about the same thing.

“Why don’t you go find out?” Jaehwan suggests, shadowing Hongbin to his fridge.

“Why don’t you stop eating my fruits?” Hongbin retorts, peeling a banana and shoving it in his mouth before Jaehwan could get his greedy hands on it.

“Because you buy the nice, organic things, and they’re so tasty!” Jaehwan whines. “Let me eat, I’ll reimburse!”

Hongbin scoffs, but does nothing when Jaehwan follows his lead and eats a banana. The subject is not broached again, even when they move back to the den, talking about some photography exhibition Hyuk was taking part in, and Hongbin uses his phone to order in chicken and beer. But, it stays at the forefront of Hongbin’s mind for days.

  
  


The next time they hang out, Jaehwan once again is unable to attend due to conflicting schedules. A delivery person shows up in the middle of Hongbin and Hyuk fighting over whether to order in Spanish or Vietnamese food. Hakyeon, tired of their pointless fight, gets the door, and comes back dragging a massive fruit basket on the floor. The basket doesn’t come with a card, but Hongbin  _ knows _ who sent it. 

  
  


Three weeks later, Hongbin finds himself in Australia, sitting on the porch of the house of his friend Xiumin and his  _ friend _ Luhan. Hongbin had made the journey to Down Under almost a week ago. He’d spent three days at Jiyeon’s manor, watching her tutor her pupils, and providing useful tips when asked, and then he’d bought a DSLR and roamed through Melbourne and Canberra and Brisbane, taking snapshots and sampling street food.

And now he was at Xiumin’s, awake at dawn, and sipping a cup of hot tea made by the vampire Luhan, who had just gone to sleep (along with Xiumin). Xiumin had been a bit nervous at first to let Luhan and Hongbin interact, but they had gotten along marvelously well, bonding by cracking jokes at Xiumin’s expense. 

Now that he’s alone and watching a sunrise, Hongbin thinks of another vampire, half the world away and a one hour time difference behind him, who hadn’t quite strayed from his mind in the past few days (thanks to their ongoing conversations over social media). 

He realises Jaehwan is someone who hasn’t greeted a sunrise in a while, and wouldn’t it be a wonderful gift to share with him?

_ He could video call Jaehwan, Hongbin deliberates, but then again, there were other ways he could reach Jaehwan. _

Smiling, Hongbin closes his eyes and conjures up Jaehwan’s familiar face and rough location in his mind. A moment later, he’s found him.  _ Gotcha _ , Hongbin thinks, suppressing a smile.

_ Jaehwan? _ , he asks, reaching out and knocking at the edge of Jaehwan’s mind.

_ Hongbin?, _ Jaehwan’s thought relays equal measure of surprise and shock.  _ What’s happening? Am I hallucinating? _

_ You’re not. I’m scrying _ , Hongbin explains.  _ It’s a way we used to communicate before. And well, I wanted to show you something _ .

_ Then, show me!  _ Even over his thoughts, Jaehwan projects impatience.

I’ll need to strengthen our connection, and you’ll need to allow me to tap into your mind, Hongbin explains.

Aren’t you already doing that?, Jaehwan asks.

_ No, I’m...at the edge of your mind _ . To show you things, I need to access deeper, Hongbin explains to the best of his ability.  _ If you agree to this, you have my word I’ll never access your mind without permission _ .

_ I trust you _ , Jaehwan says simply, and oh, he does?  _ Now, show me _ .

_ Close your eyes, _ Hongbin instructs, burying the thrill he’s gotten from Jaehwan admitting trusting him, in order to focus on the task at hand.  _ Ready? _

This time, Jaehwan’s  _ yes  _ reverberates through his mind. As he burrows deeper in Jaehwan’s mind to strengthen their connection, he gets bombarded by Jaehwan’s emotions. First, only general impressions of feelings Hongbin has to work to identify, like tiredness and anticipation, and then, he accesses the dimensions of Jaehwan’s actual emotions.

_ Okay _ , he says, carefully closing off his own emotions.  _ Count down for me please _ .

_ You’re such a child sometimes _ , Jaehwan chides, fondness and exasperation taking shape in his mind.  _ But here we go. 3. 2. and 1 _ .

The moment he thinks 1, Hongbin opens his eyes, and is bombarded by the tidal wave of emotions Jaehwan processes through upon viewing his sunrise. Shock, joy, wonder, longing, affection all mixed in together.

_ I wanted to show you a sunrise _ , Hongbin explains, still sifting through Jaehwan’s emotions.

_ Thank you _ , Jaehwan says with feeling, seeing the sight through Hongbin’s eyes.  _ This is such a wonderful gift, I’m so grateful. _

_ I know, _ Hongbin replies, because he can feel the sincerity behind Jaehwan’s words.  _ Drink this in, because this is the only gift you’ll get from my trip _ .

_ Cheapskate _ , Jaehwan teases, mentally nudging Hongbin to get up from the porch and walk around the beach in front of Xiumin’s house.

Hongbin indulges his whim, walking up and down the beach and sharing the smell of the sea and the feel of the sunrays against his skin with Jaehwan, who’s raptly capturing everything.

_ I should go to sleep _ , Jaehwan reluctantly announces after a while.

_ We can talk again tomorrow if you want _ , Hongbin offers, unable to temp down on the hope that blooms in him.

_ That would be too greedy _ , Jaehwan thinks.  _ You should travel more. _

_ I will, _ Hongbin says. Because now that he’s had a taste (and the world still remains to be at peace), he wants to travel more.  _ Maybe travelling will be my passion? _

_ Let’s talk when you come back home _ .

_ Monday _ , Hongbin thinks at him, beginning to feel Jaehwan’s mind slowly moving towards unconscious.

_ Monday _ , Jaehwan promises, mind feeling with happiness as he slips into dreams.

  
  
  


True to his word, Jaehwan appears at Hongbin’s doorstep at the strike of midnight on Monday.

“Give me my gift,” he immediately says, pushing past Hongbin into the apartment.

“I got you nothing,” Hongbin says, following Jaehwan into the den.

“Then explain this,” Jaehwan says, excitedly pointing at the pouch displayed on Hongbin’s table bearing his name.

“You’re not the only Jaehwan I know,” Hongbin bluffs, crossing his arms. “I forgot you have enhanced vision.”

“Sure,” Jaehwan drawls, flopping onto the sofa and patting the seat beside him. “Come sit here and tell me your tales.”

And so Hongbin does, sitting as close to Jaehwan as he once used to sit next to Hyuk, and entertaining him with anecdotes from his travels. They lose track of time, so engrossed in conversation, and only when Jaehwan lets out a yawn do they realize the time.

“Shit,” Jaehwan mutters, face wrinkling with worry when he consults his phone. “It’s only 20 minutes to sunrise. I’ll never make it back home in time.”

“I guess I could stay at a government center today,” he continues, opening his phone to look up the location of the closest facility on the map.

“Or you could stay here?” Hongbin offers, internally wincing when Jaehwan looks at him sharply. “I mean, it’s kinda my fault you missed your bedtime? And I promise you’ll be safe here.”

“Will I be?” Jaehwan asks, staring calculatedly at Hongbin. And Hongbin can’t blame him, not when he’s been so blatantly transparent about his hatred for Jaehwan’s kind before.

“I swear on my life,” Hongbin promises. “I swear on my life that you’ll be safe here.”

“Okay,” Jaehwan says, after a while. “Show me where I can go to sleep.”

And so, Hongbin takes him to his bedroom and seals all the windows shut using magic. He offers to magique the door so only Jaehwan can open it, but a sleepy Jaehwan only rolls his eyes and asks him to close it on his way out.

  
  


“I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t fully expect to be alive right now,” is how Jaehwan greets Hongbin the next evening, sneaking up on where Hongbin is preparing dinner.

“I gave you my word,” Hongbin reminds him, sparing him a quick glance before he’s back to chopping vegetables.

“Is that the whole reason why?”

“No,” Hongbin says only that.

“Care to elaborate?” Jaehwan asks, drawing closer.

“You’re a good being, despite being a vampire,” Hongbin repeats his words from another time. “Would you have dinner with me?”

“I need to get a  _ snack _ ,” Jaehwan says sheepishly. “I haven’t fed in a few days. I’ll pop by the nearest vending machine and come back, if you still want me to.”

“Then hurry back,” Hongbin says dismissively, only barely glancing at him. Hongbin doesn’t need to look to feel Jaehwan smiling at him.

“Hey, Hongbin?”

“Hmm.”

“I changed your mind about vampires, didn’t I?” Jaehwan asks, edging closer to poke his side.

“You’ve changed my mind about how much of a pest you really are, is all you’ve done,” Hongbin mutters. “Go get your blood. There should be a machine near the train terminal.”

“Last question,” Jaehwan says, lingering at the doorway.

“Ask away,” Hongbin sighs.

“You’ll have to look at me for this one,” Jaehwan demands, and so Hongbin turns to face him. “Are you asking me to have dinner, or are you asking me  _ to have dinner with you _ ?”

“You’ve already said yes, so why does it matter?” Hongbin says, refusing to meet his eyes. “Hurry back, before the rice finishes cooking.”

“Hey, Hongbin?” Jaehwan starts again, creeping closer. 

“What now?”

“Wanna know a secret?” Jaehwan asks, coming to bump his shoulder.

“What is it?”

“If you wanted to get me in your bed, you could have done that ages ago,” Jaehwan teases, laughing when Hongbin starts spluttering.

“You suck!” Hongbin declares.

“I do!” Jaehwan pipes up, grinning broadly to display his fangs. 

“You’re an insolent brat,” Hongbin mutters. “And a fruit thief.”

“I can be  _ your  _ insolent brat,” Jaehwan proposes. “ _ Your _ fruit thief.” 

“You’re already  _ my fruit _ thief,” Hongbin clarifies.

“And the other bit?”

“We can negotiate over dinner when you come back,” Hongbin allows magnanimously. 

And so, Jaehwan zooms out, promising to return in a jiffy.

  
  
  


Five years later, Hongbin wakes up at 7 PM in New York at the dead of winter.

The world he awakens to is still flashy, loud and just  _ different _ .

But Hongbin is slowly getting used to the hustle and bustle of the 21st century.

He’s been travelling a lot, exploring a minimum of 3 countries every year, comfortably sponsored by the Han clan’s credit card. He loves to meet new people, and take on new experiences, and take photos of interesting beings, be they common folk or fae or even vampires.

He’d started an online portfolio of black and white photography, which had somehow gotten a loyal fan following and eventually gotten him offers for photo exhibitions from places all around the world. That’s how he’d come to New York, to display his photos in a museum, and give a talk.

And he’d not come alone.

_ Where are you? _ , he asks, closing his eyes and seeking his companion.

“Right here,” his companion says aloud, coming in from the balcony and crawling up over Hongbin’s body. “Had a nice nap?”

“Remind me to never go for daytime schedules again,” Hongbin says, rubbing at his eyes. “I feel so tired.”

“Poor baby,” his boyfriend mocks. “Bothered by a little sunlight.”

Hongbin scoffs at him, but does nothing to stop the hands wandering up and down his biceps. “How long have you been awake?”

“Long enough to get both of us some Starbucks, which should have gone cold by now,” he says, pointing at a packet on the table near the other end of the hotel room. “And to have a snack.”

“Have you brushed your teeth?” Hongbin asks, suddenly feeling a lot more alert.

His boyfriend, already knowing where his mind is going, only rolls his eyes before leaning down and pecking Hongbin’s mouth. They continue to languidly kiss for a while before Hongbin suddenly feels cold fingers against his neck, tickling the one spot that makes him giggle.

“You’re such an insolent brat,” Hongbin proclaims, shoving him and rolling away across the bed.

“But I’m  _ your  _ insolent brat,” Jaehwan winks greasily at him.

“You’re disgusting,” Hongbin grimaces.

“Love you too!” Jaehwan quips, throwing in a finger heart for good measure. “Now quickly get dressed. We need to be at the MoMa by 9 for the exhibit, or Hakyeon will skin us alive if we miss it.”

“What a scaredy vampire, afraid of a puny human,” Hongbin says mockingly, getting up and stretching. 

“Puny human, huh!” Jaehwan laughs, and Hongbin can’t help but join in, thinking back to how shocked both Hakyeon and Hyuk had been when they had shown up to hang out unannounced, and walked into Hongbin’s (unlocked) apartment to find Jaehwan and Hongbin making out on his kitchen table. 

“Get dressed. It’s time to continue your modern world immersion lessons!” Jaehwan pipes up.

“I still can’t believe you guys are continuing that agenda,” Hongbin shakes his head, exchanging his sleepshirt for a button-down.

“Can't you, really?” Jaehwan asks rhetorically, leaning against the headboard and shamelessly ogling Hongbin as he strips.

Hongbin sighs, electing not to comment, because yeah, he’s come to accept that his friends (and boyfriend) will never stop with the agenda of continuing his so-called immersion lessons. But that’s fine, he doesn’t mind the journey when he has Jaehwan by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> This was such an interesting experience to write (and I may expand this AU later, but no promises)!  
> But thank you for reading!   
> Let me know what you think~


End file.
